Why We Don't Hear Tinnitus in Our Dreams and Why It Is a Clue

[linearb]

I have never heard about anyone having tinnitus in dreams. Why is that, does anyone know?

It happens to me all the time

 

[Sven]

classical concept is that the brain is making up for lack of input from the cochlea.
So why do people who have lost their hearing NOT have tinnitus?

That's not what I've heard. I have heard that people who are deaf, still can have tinnitus.

I have never had tinnitus in my sleep, though. I have, however, experienced what I think is a few seconds of silence just after waking up. At least I think I have...

 

[vaka]

Hey guys, as this is different for everyone I thought, it may be interesting to see, how often Tinnitus Talk users perceive their tinnitus while asleep, and created a poll:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/poll-how-often-do-you-hear-your-tinnitus-in-your-dreams.27252/

 

[Ozwel]

I too never had have any problems with tinnitus when sleeping. In fact, when I got it a year ago, I was actually looking forward to sleep because I knew the tinnitus would then go away. That's why I never felt any need to use any white noise to mask it.

When the big dose of GABA kicked in, which from what I understand is happening when you fall asleep, I experienced total piece and quiet.

For me, waking up in the morning was never really an issue. It felt good because the tinnitus took its sweet time to get back. I'd say 10-20 minutes. Maybe because I'm not a morning person?

Weird claim I read here Actually, how can you be happy not to hear your T whereas you are not conscious? I mean, I certainly can't hear my T while sleeping, just like I can't enjoy anything from the real world while sleeping and therefore in an unconscious state.

I can still tell myslef when waking up that I spent hours sleeping and therefore without thinking about my T... cool but you know sleeping is like closing your eyes and opening them seconds after with full battery load. The thing you can enjoy is the peaceful state you have when waking up naturally... except that this peaceful part of waking up is when you actually hear your T again and therefore go straight to anxiety or depressed state.

 

[hans01]

Abstract

There are pathophysiological, clinical, and treatment analogies between phantom limb pain and phantom sound (i.e., tinnitus). Phantom limb pain commonly is absent in dreams, and the question arises whether this is also the case for tinnitus. A questionnaire was given to 78 consecutive tinnitus patients seen at a specialized tinnitus clinic. Seventy-six patients remembered their dreams and of these 74 claim not to perceive tinnitus during their dreams (97%). This can be most easily explained by a predictive Bayesian brain model. That is, during the awake state the brain constantly makes predictions about the environment. Tinnitus is hypothesized to be the result of a prediction error due to deafferentation, and missing input is filled in by the brain. The heuristic explanation then is that in the dream state there is no interaction with the environment and therefore no updating of the prediction error, resulting in the absence of tinnitus.

More in the paper:

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/np/2014/612147/

I heard T a few times in my dreams, so not sure this is normal ....

 

[Spiral]

Never had it in my dreams. In fact, when my body was getting tired and wanted to sleep the T lessens. Once I wake up it gradually gets louder.

It may have something to do about just the excitability of the neurons slowing down to allow sleep.

 

[Shera]

The classic theory seems wrong to me. I have had low tone hearing loss as long as I can remember. (My sister use to scream bloody murder into my ears.) Never had T.

After my injury and "rei-njury" the joys of T entered my life.

I haven't had T enter my dreams, but like someone else said a spike has woken me up numerous times.

I'm curious in the poles I always say no hearing loss because the loss of my low tones is so normal and did not start my T. Should I be saying I have hearing loss? Because I haven't lost any hearing that caused T.

 

[aspen]

While I am sleeping the tinnitus is also sleeping. The minute I wake up it comes back. I can't wait to put my hearing aids in, it feels better with them in. But it is still there. How much magnesium do you take? I would like to try it.